Some government experts, including engineers, foresters, geoscientists and psychologists, took up picket lines in Victoria Tuesday (Sept. 2).
Scattered along Blanshard and Douglas streets, the Professional Employees Association (PEA) members walked out to push the province to increase wages and commit to reducing its use of external contractors, among other demands, according to the labour union.
“Our members are the experts that the province relies on,” the PEA’s executive director Melissa Moroz told the Victoria News Sept. 2. “They're the ones that guide land use, they protect our water, our forests – and, importantly, they regulate all the natural resource and other nation-building projects that are underway in this province.”
The move comes after negotiations that began May 27 between the union and the province broke down.
Eighty-two per cent of PEA members voted to strike Aug. 29, marking the second time these government professionals have walked out in the union's 51-year history.
Of the over 1,800 of these workers employed by the province, 150 are picketing in Victoria, Surrey and Prince George, alongside B.C. General Employees Union members, who also voted to issue a 72-hour strike notice Aug. 29.
“Our goal here is to get a collective agreement,” said Moroz. “We're hoping the province takes notice of the resolve of our members and the support we have in our communities and comes back to the table.”
When asked how long the PEA expects the strike will last, the executive director added, “We'll stay out as long as it takes to get a deal that we believe we'll be able to ratify with our members.”
“These professionals do not take the decision to strike lightly,” Moroz said in a Sept. 2 news release. “But when the B.C. government refuses to pay fair wages and continues to contract out the same work at a higher cost, they are sending a clear message about the priorities of this province. Contracting out doesn’t save money; it costs more. Instead of investing in a stable public service, the government is paying a premium for external contractors. It’s not just unfair to workers, it’s fiscally irresponsible.”
The PEA said the strike won’t disrupt essential services.
More to come…
